July 2018

116 117 CAMP BOWWOW dogs. Kennels at that time didn’t provide the level of care and experience she was looking for.” She also knew she was not the only one who felt this void. “Camp BowWow was born out of the want for her dogs to have fun,” explains Julie. Ganahl wanted to create a place where people’s pets could exercise, socialize, and be entertained during work hours or vacations. Turner admits the concept was initially an oddity for some, acknowl- edging people’s questions of, “Why would you need day care for a dog?” But she answers those sentiments with examples of market readiness and success. “By 2000, the first Camp opened in Denver and saw extraordinary success. It was a day care/ boarding facility and back at that time, pet par- ents didn’t understand what day care for dogs was.” But the public soon grew to understand, if not love, the idea and by 2003, the business opened up for franchise opportunities. Since those early days, the company has spread to 40 states and Canada, and recently opened its 150th location, making Camp BowWow the largest dog day care franchise in America. Turner believes that the company’s success is based on four main pillars: “Everything we do is focused on the safety of the dog.We have extensive training for staff, a dog interview process, and Camper requirements.” “We have all-inclusive pricing.We don’t nickel and dime.We do all of these things to make pet parents feel comfortable and know we are trans- parent.” “The third pillar is continuous interaction.We offer all day play.We don’t just let dogs out three times a day for a potty break. They romp around all day with other Campers, so when their mom and dad come to pick them up they’re tired and happy.” “And last, we have live web cams so parents can check in on their dogs on their computer or mobile app for free.” Camp BowWow is dedicated to propelling its suc- cess through franchising.While it continues to offer day care and boarding services, the company also offers “other complementary services such as groom- ing, training, and in-home pet care, so our franchise owners can generate additional revenue and meet the needs of pet parents,” says Turner. As the largest dog day care franchise in the nation, new franchise owners come from a variety of sources. Turner explains, “The first and predominant way new owners find us is that they were once a customer.We get many owners who were a customer from another